How much smartphone can $129 buy you? That's what Telstra's Qwerty-Touch Android phone will retail for when it hits the shelves on 15 November. The Qwerty-Touch may have a terrible name, but its one of the cheapest Android phones on the market that combines a full sized QWERTY keyboard with a touchscreen.

The Apple iPhone may have kick-started the smartphone industry, but Google's Android platform has really been a boom for the low end mobile market. Unlike Apple's closed iOS platform, Google licences its Android software for multiple manufacturers to use on their devices — the result is a wealth of low-priced smartphones that offer most of the features and functions of their high end brothers with only a few compromises.

Some of these cheap, budget phones are ultimately poor products, but Telstra is hoping its Qwerty-Touch falls into the cheap but good category. The telco says the Qwerty-Touch was a direct result of consumer market research indicating a desire for a device that combined a physical keyboard and touchscreen at a low price point.

On paper, the ZTE-manufactured Qwerty-Touch ticks a lot of boxes. For starters, it has a capacitive touchscreen and not the cheaper, less responsive resistive screen that Telstra's $99 Smart-Touch uses. It also has a full sized QWERTY keyboard, which is a rarity not only at this price point, but on Android phones in general. Given the Qwerty-Touch has a very small 2.6in screen, a full sized keyboard is likely to be a positive when it comes to text input — as long as the keyboard is well designed and implemented.

The Telstra Qwerty-Touch runs the 2.3 "Gingerbread" version of Google's Android platform and features GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Qwerty-Touch also has a 2-megapixel camera that records video, along with an MP3 player and FM radio.

The Telstra Qwerty-Touch Android phone will be available from 15 November for $129, and is exclusive to Telstra.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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